Silicon dioxide may be incorporated into integrated circuitry as a dielectric material. For instance, silicon dioxide may be utilized as capacitor dielectric, electrical isolation between adjacent electrically conductive circuit components, gate dielectric, etc.
Numerous methods are known for forming silicon dioxide. For instance, silicon dioxide may be deposited across a surface utilizing one or both of atomic layer deposition (ALD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). As another example, silicon dioxide may be thermally grown from a silicon-containing surface utilizing radical oxidation and/or furnace oxidation. An example of radical oxidation is in situ steam generation (ISSG). The ISSG may include exposure of the silicon-containing surface to a combination of steam and hydrogen, while maintaining the silicon-containing surface at a temperature of less than or equal to about 1000° C. The ISSG may be conducted within a reaction chamber, with a pressure within such chamber being at or above atmospheric pressure.
There is a continuing goal to improve performance of integrated circuit components, and a continuing goal to decrease dimensions of individual components to achieve increasing levels of integration. Accordingly, it is desired to achieve improved performance from the various materials utilized in integrated circuitry, including silicon dioxide. It is therefore desired to develop improved methods of forming silicon dioxide such that the silicon dioxide may enable fabrication of integrated circuit components having improved performance characteristics.